Stepping Out Of A Dream
by SuperPianoWoman
Summary: This is a Fack Story! When Cloud comes home drunk, they fight, she falls unconsious. Then shes visited by a certain SOLDIER we all know! What happens when dreams become reality and Zack comes back? Read and find out! No longer on Hiatus! :D
1. Knock Out

Hello! This is my first Zack/Tifa story! I hope you like it; I have been inspired by many authors to do this, so HERE I AM! :D Lawlz, if there are any suggestions, mistakes, or praises, all is welcome! :DD Have fun!

~Miss Maddie:D

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Chapter 1: Knock Out

A cold drop of sweat trailed down the bartenders' nose as she served drink after drink to all the customers that had congregated in her bar. The smell of heavy cigar smoke, alcohol, and peanuts was almost visible in the dim lighting of the room. The night was certainly one for celebrating, now that AVALANCH had again, successfully saved Gaia from a certain end.

The happy chatting of Tifa's friends made her smile as she filled Cid's and Barrett's mugs full of Wutai ale. Yuffie's constant chatter to Vincent, Red VII and Cait Sith sitting near the soft fire in the back, and Marlene and Denzel playing innocently with the Turks warmed her heart. Even Reno's antics had Tifa beaming, though she was on the verge of throwing him out with all the other perverts. But the ever constant absence of her blonde friend nagged at her heart like a spot on a glass she couldn't clean.

Though not there, Tifa knew where Cloud was, and why. Tifa sighed. Ever since the flower girl had died, he had become almost as brooding as Vincent. Even though they were close, he still didn't open up to her as much as he use to. She noticed he stayed out later than usual, despite the fact that he said he'd be around more. She also found that he had taken to drinking a bit, no doubt trying to numb the pain, but it was still worrying…

A loud crash was heard, jolting Tifa out of her thoughts. Thinking that Yuffie had knocked something over, Tifa turned around with a rag in hand ready to clean up the mess, when the scene in front of her made her freeze. The cold, bitter wind outside was the only sound heard at that moment. You could hear a pin drop. Her blonde best friend stood just barely over the threshold, a bottle in hand. The door, or what once was the bars front door, was swinging limply in the cold December wind. Glass had flown everywhere, silencing the once chatty bar.

"Cloud…?"

"What the ****?"

The AVALANCH members all murmured their protests and indignations as he strode across the bar silently. Tifa opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but was greeted by a slamming of the back door, leading to the stairs. Wide eyed, she turned back to the bar and said;

"Well… I guess I should see what's wrong…", and started for the stairs when she heard Barrett get up from his chair and touch her shoulder.

"Teef, I don't think you should go up there…" he said with a worried glance at the door.

"I'll be fine Barrett. Take the kid's home with you, and close the bar please, will you? I'll be alright", she replied, stepping once again towards the stairs and disappeared up the wooden steps.

The bar erupted in yells and astonished conversation as the door closed behind Tifa.

"What was that…?"

"What's up with Cloud?"

"Alright, everyone OUT!" Barrett yelled, picking up Denzel and Marlene.

The remaining customers got up, paying for their drinks, and scattered out, not wanting to be there if other things went flying. Cid re bolted the door, Yuffie and Vincent picked up the shards of glass. After everything was clean, the gang dispersed quickly, knowing that whatever happened was to be resolved between the two alone. Pretty soon the bar was quiet, and deserted.

A soft knock was heard up stairs. Tifa stood in front of Clouds bedroom door, biting her lip. There were crashes heard deep in the room, glass breaking, and wood splitting. Tifa hesitantly pushed on the door, then pushed harder when it didn't budge. Frustrated, she finally resulted to kicking down the door. She jumped, flung her boot clad foot at the old wooden door, and landed gracefully on her feet as the door flew open. The room was in complete chaos. The bed was torn apart, Mirrors were broken, the window curtains were in tatters, clothes strung along the floor, and a panting Cloud sat in the middle of the floor with a bottle of beer in his shaking hand.

"…Cloud?" Tifa whispered softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Get. Out", came an angry voice, riddled and slurred by alcohol. Tifa was startled by the fury that came from her friend. Even in the most trying moments of life, Cloud had never been this angry with her. The solution was clear, he had gotten himself drunk. No way of knowing how though…

"Cloud… What's wrong?" She asked timidly, stepping around a hunk of metal that looked suspiciously like a T.V.

In response, Cloud moved away from her touch and took another long swig form the bottle. Tifa moved fast, yanking the bottle from his hand and threw it out the window. Cloud blinked, clearly not expecting her to do that. His mako blue eyes flashed, sudden anger bubbling to the surface. Tifa moved back when Clouds fist came lurching at her. Not wanting to hurt her best friend, she dodged the punch and a series of kicks.

_What's going on? _Tifa wondered as they continued their dance like spar. _Only this wasn't just a spar, he's putting everything into this,_ her mind whispered. Cloud lunged forward and kicked Tifa's feet out from under her. She crashed down hard, hitting her head on a blunt object. Her vision swam as tiers threatened to fall from the blow. The last thing she saw was Cloud dropping to his knees, eyes wide in horror, and then Tifa Lockhart surrendered to the darkness.

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OMG! Cliffy :D I know, I ended too soon, but I have to leave my readers hungering for more now don't I! Sooo, please drop me a comment and tell me what you think! Also, I adore The Tifa/Cloud pairing, don't get me wrong. But I like the Tifa/Zack one better. And don't hate on the Drunk Cloud, he's having a hard time D; And don't worries, Zach will make his appearance in the next chappie! Soooooo, R&R :DDDDDD Till Next Time!

~Miss Maddie:D


	2. Not Always Flowers

HARRO! Yush, it is I, MADDIEEEEE! REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY GUYS! I GOT SENT TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF POPCORN! WTF! Well, looked at my traffic, OMG SO MANY PEOPLE! ^^ So, I'm gonna treat ya'll to a LONG ((I hope)) CHAPTER! THANK YOU THANK YOU To my First reviewys **GNXmike, ** and **Plandapattipus! **Cookie to you three! Also, sorry **Plandapattipus! **I just noticed that too ^^ hahah, I shall be better this time! Now, On to the story!

Aye. So, there was a bit of a mistake on this chappie, so it's fixed. If you didn't notice, just ignore this.

~Miss Maddie:D

PS! OMG I FORGOT THIS LAST TIME! DON'T SUE MEEE! I DON'T OWN Final Fantasy VII AT ALL! ((Even if I wish I did!))

Chapter 2: Not Always Flowers

**RECAP: Cloud lunged forward and kicked Tifa's feet out from under her. She crashed down hard, hitting her head on a blunt object. Her vision swam as tiers threatened to fall from the blow. The last thing she saw was Cloud dropping to his knees, eyes wide in horror, and then Tifa Lockhart surrendered to the darkness.**

Black. That was all she could see, nothing else. Tifa's subconscious slowly began working again; her thoughts now at 100 mph. Tifa opened her eyes, heavy with drowsiness, and surveyed her surroundings. Sand covered the floor, chunks of metal and debris cluttered the hills. The sun was bright and hot on her skin, almost to the point of discomfort. The land continued as far as she could see, miles and miles of war zone stretched before her, although no bodies were seen. The air smelled of dirt, gunpowder, and fire.

Tifa stood, not sure what to do. Her head gave a cry of protest at the motion, pounding so hard it made her eyes hurt. She closed them, and pressed her hands to her temples. Her throat squeezed, making it hard for her to breath. Then, when she was on the brink of fainting of dehydration, she felt a presence behind her. Tensing, Tifa evaluated her chance of taking someone probably stronger than her on. Judging by her condition, the chances were very slim. She brought her hands to her sides, clenching them together. Warmth radiated from behind her, telling her that the intruder was close. She tried to lift her foot, but to no avail her foot was firmly planted on the floor. She was about to throw her elbow behind her, hopefully knocking whoever was behind her back, when she smelled the air.

Gunpowder, spice, and a hint of dirt filled her nose. The aroma was so familiar, it made her head dizzy. His body radiated warmth, and his scent reminded Tifa of home. The strong impulse to turn around and beat him, yell at him, hug him, and cry for him over came Tifa as she stood rooted to the spot. Tears of regret spilled over her cheeks without permission as she gritted her teeth. The silence was killing her. He must hate her…

"I don't hate you", his deep voice said, effectively breaking the heavy silence. Tifa's eyes widened, her breath caught. She never thought she would ever hear his voice again. More tears threatened to break the dam. She could imagine what he looked like; smiling that smile he always did as if she had said something ridiculous. His same black spikes slicked back, defying gravity like always. His mako blue eyes glowing with a laugh he had bottled up. The regret and pain Tifa had been hiding all came up at once, making her scream out suddenly.

"I'M SORRY!" Tifa cried, curling into a ball on the hot sand, her headache forgotten. "I let you die, told you horrible things, it's all my fault."

He sighed, and sat down behind her, back to back. He clasped her left shoulder with his left hand, silently telling her to let it all out. She cried for what seemed hours, all the time being comforted by the dead SOLDIER. When her tears ran dry, she began to hiccup. But still, she refused to turn around; for she knew of the fresh round of tears that would come when she did.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this…" Tifa murmured as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. He just patted her shoulder, understanding. "What is this place?" she asked, looking once again at her surroundings.

"This… is where I live", he said after hesitating. Tifa felt him shift behind her, his black hair spikes poking her head softly.

Confusion filled her. Where were all the flowers? She remembered Cloud telling her about his visits to Aerith in a flower field in his dreams. She winced at the memory of him and her fighting.

"Well, the afterlife isn't always full of flowers Teef. This is how it is for me. Of course", he said, a hint of teasing in his voice, "if you wanted to go see Miss. "Don't Step on My Flowers Or Else" instead of ME…" he trailed off. Tifa laughed at that. Yeah, this was the same man she knew all those years ago.

"Zack…" she said, ((OMG SHE FINALLY SAID HIS NAME!)) Sighing. She wanted to turn around and look at him, just once. But her mind told her to stay put, let his voice and smell be enough. Her voice became tight and her eyes shimmered. How was this happening? What happened to her usual wall she builds to hide her true feelings? How could just Zack's presence change her look on life?

"Maybe because I'm cool like that?" he answered her thoughts, trying to lighten the mood like he always did. She let a short snort leave her as she rolled her eyes. Tifa felt his body shake with silent laughter at his own joke. She burst out crying again, hating herself for basically blubbering in front of a guy. Zack, being his sweet self, turned around and hugged her shoulders to his chest, still not seeing each other's face.

Tifa felt his X scar against her cheek as they sat in silence on the sandy dune. She almost sighed when he moved, standing up, and blocking the sun with his tall statcher. She stood also, brushed the sand off her pants. They stood again back to back. The sun was setting in the east, ((Does it set in the east or west? Idk, I'm awesome like that)), casting an orange hue of light over them.

"It's almost time for you to go…" he murmured to her. She automatically fastened her hands onto the back of his shirt like a vice grip behind her. She had questions, and she wanted answers too. But mostly she didn't want to face the drama she knew she would see when she came to. Zack laughed lightly, taking her hands from behind him and keeping them in his hands.

"Don't worry! You can come back here whenever you want. Just say my name before you sleep, and I'll come, okay? I'll always come." he said. Tifa nodded, savoring the smell of him. Before the darkness consumed her, she turned quickly to stare into his blue eyes. Crimson eyes met Icy blue, and she lurched forward, throwing herself into his waiting arms. Then, she was ripped from his warm circle by the dark.

**I DID IT! YAY! ((Coughed half the time but WHO CARES!)) THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEWD! I want at LEAST 5 reviews total if you want me to continue! I NEEED feed back! Your silence in killing me! :DD Feel free to drop me a comment, request, flame, or a love note on how much you love the sound of my typing ;DD **

**~Miss Maddie:D**


	3. Breaking Even

IM BACKKKK!

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…

.

*Army of Readers starts to charge*

OH NOES. DON'T KILL ME. PLEASE. *Runs and Hides*

I'm so so sorry! I have been gone for sooooo long! I had lost my inspiration, and my talent, and…. Yeah. BUT IM BACK NOW! And I'm hungering for the juicy plot of my story! Which, I hope you guys are too! A friend of mine was saying on Facebook how she HATED it when Authors never finish their story, and I Thought, ME TOO! Its sooooo annoying! And then I remembered…. Oh…. I do that… x) and then I got RAN OVER with inspiration! (I actually fell out of my chair)

THANK YOU SO MUCH to my reviewers; you are all my favorite people! I LOVE REVIEWS (COUGH COUGH) 33333

I DON'T OWN FINAL FANTASY VII! SQUARE ENIX HAS IT ALL! But, I do own the store clerk x3

Now, On to the story! ~MissMaddie:D

Recap: "Don't worry! You can come back here whenever you want. Just say my name before you sleep, and I'll come, okay? I'll always come." he said. Tifa nodded, savoring the smell of him. Before the darkness consumed her, she turned quickly to stare into his blue eyes. Crimson eyes met Icy blue, and she lurched forward, throwing herself into his waiting arms. Then, she was ripped from his warm circle by the dark.~

Chapter 3: Breaking Even

A bright light shined against Tifa's face as she slowly came to, telling her that it was morning. Crimson eyes squinted, watching dust dance in the rays of sun. The memories of the night before and her dream came crashing down on her all at once, making her lurch forward.

"Zack!" she exclaimed, searching the room. She was in her own bedroom, the grey walls and messy desk greeted her. A single tear escaped her eye, when she remembered. Zack was not there. It was all just a dream… Tifa shook her head. She couldn't let her walls be let down like that again. Wiping her tears, she stood from her bed. Walking down the hall, she smelled the air. The aroma of eggs and toast reached her, pulling her down the stairs and into the bar.

Barrett stood there; in an apron that look suspiciously like Marlene's, buttering toast for the two children mounted on the bar stools.

"Tifa!" Marlene cried, earning the attention of the others. She leapt from her perch and hugged Tifa's legs tightly.

"Marlene," Tifa said, grim expression softening.

"What happened last night Teef?" Barrett asked, setting the butter down.

Tifa hesitated, not wanting to explain in front of the kids.

"I'll tell you later, Barrett. First we need to get the kids off to school."

Tifa shuffled over to a stool and sat next to Marlene and Denzel. Barrett placed a plate of toast and mangled looking eggs in front of her, looking quite proud of himself. Tifa chuckled lightly, spearing a piece of egg and popped it into her mouth.

After eating breakfast, Tifa urged the kids up stairs to get ready for school. As she collected dishes, she and Barrett talked.

"Teef, if he's giving you trouble-"

"Its fine Barrett, he's just going through a rough patch."

Barrett looked disbelieving at her. Tifa could tell that he didn't quite trust Cloud enough to leave the matter alone. She told him about their fight, but left out the part about her dream of Zack. That would bring on a pile of unwanted questions of the past. Then the kids came trampling down the stairs, so Barrett left to take them to school.

Tifa finished cleaning the bar and went up stairs to change. While doing so, she smelled her clothes, and could still sense the Spice and Gunpowder. A small lump lodged in her throat as she fought with the tears. _Zack…_ Tifa shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat. After dressing, she noticed a note lying on her bed. It was addressed to her.

Tifa,

I so sorry about last night. It was all a mistake. I don't think you will forgive me so easily this time, so I'll just spare us bother the pain and leave for a while. I don't know how long I will be gone, but please, don't try to follow me. Its better this way. See you later, Teef.

Cloud.

The careless scrawl of Clouds words seemed to wrap around Tifa, begging her to cry. But she would not give up so easily. She stood, crumpled the note, and threw it onto her desk to be dealt with later.

Tifa walked out of Seventh Heaven and down the street to the Store. She walked in and was greeted by the familiar tingle of the Brass bell.

"Good Morning Tifa!" Randal the store clerk said, waving at her.

"'Morning Randal" She said back. She walked to the back of the store and picked up the delivery list. The most recent entry was from Cloud, earlier this morning_. So he is going on a business trip_, Tifa thought. She pushed the thought from her mind and went on with her errand. 12 boxes of Fire Whiskey, 15 of Wutai Ale, and 8 cartons of Black Water Vodka were added to the list. Her storage was getting low on supplies, and she wouldn't have much time to restock this week.

"Just have someone drop the crates off at the bar, okay Ran?" Tifa said, walking out of the store and down the street to the bar.

With the bar officially open for the day, the regular customers started to trickle in. Conversations started to become slurred mumbles, and the air soon became heavy with cigar smoke. Tifa worked behind the bar, drink after drink, and carried on conversation with the patrons.

After a couple bar fights, and the throwing out of some too handsie men, Tifa ushered out the few still hunched over people out the door at about 3 in the morning, and trudged up the stairs to check of Marlene and Denzel. Their room was dark, but glowed slightly with the light of their blue night light. Marlene's bed rose slightly with each breath she took, but Denzel's bed lay empty, lacking a small brown haired boy. Tifa sighed, and walked out, knowing where he was. She walked down the deserted hall and reached the room she dreaded. Lying amongst the shambles of the bed was Denzel.

"Denzel…" Tifa began.

"He's not coming back this time, is he?" Denzel whimpered, curling into a ball. Tifa walked through the chaos to sit next to him, the mattress squeaking as she sat.

While wrapping her arms around Denzel, she replied; "I don't know. But I'm sure he will come back some time. Don't give up hope, Denz."

Tifa lifted the now snoozing Denzel up and carried him back to his room. She tucked him in with his gray covers, and then walked slowly out of the room to her own. Sitting on her bed, she finally had time to think. She thought of the past, all the things that were left unsaid, and things that were better off not said. Before she fell into the darkness, she whispered one, single word.

_Zack…_

YAY! :D Maddie is back in business! I hope to have more reviews, and your next chappie will come soon! Sorry this sort of was a filler chapter, but the plot REALLY starts to get good in the next one. So, leave a comment about what you thought was good and any requests too! And sure, flame if you want, it's all just critiquing~ :DD

~MissMaddie:D


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